Apparatus for passing a ball through a series of concentric containers

ABSTRACT

The game includes a plurality of transparent containers located one within the other. The containers may be rectangular, spherical or of any other suitable shape. The containers are so mounted that adequate passages are provided between the inner surfaces of one container and the outer surfaces of an adjacent container. Openings of suitable size are provided in the inner containers at different locations. The game may consist in moving one or more play pieces located within the outer container. The play pieces may be spherical, round, oval or of any other suitable shape. Obviously they must be of a size which will enable them to pass along the passages and through the openings. The game may be varied by providing play pieces of different colors and shapes and by different arrangements of the openings.

United States Patent Tracy [54] APPARATUS FOR PASSING A BALL THROUGH ASERIES OF CONCENTRIC CONTAINERS [72] Inventor: Charles H. Tracy, 53 EastMain Street, Earlville, NY. 13332 22 Filed: Jan. 3, 1971 21 Appl.No112,114

[52] US. Cl. ..273/95 R, 273/113 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 72/04 [58] Fieldof Search ..273/95 R, 109, 113

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Playthings, 8/61 Advertisement by Milton Bradley.Sidney A. Tarrson Co. 3/ 10/65.

[ Oct. 24, 1972 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle AssistantExaminer-Marvin Siskind AttorneyRichards & Geier [5 7] ABSTRACT The gameincludes a plurality of transparent containers located one within theother. The containers may be rectangular, spherical or of any othersuitable shape. The containers are so mounted that adequate passages areprovided between the inner surfaces of one container and the outersurfaces of an adjacent container. Openings of suitable size areprovided in the inner containers at different locations. The game mayconsist in moving one or more play pieces located within the outercontainer. The play pieces may be spherical, round, oval or of any othersuitable shape. Obviously they must be of a size which will enable themto pass along the passages and through the openings. The game may bevaried by providing play pieces of different colors and shapes and bydifferent arrangements of the openings.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED 0m 24 m2 INVENTOQ. CHARLEfi H.722,4cy

Q I A7702MY5 APPARATUS FOR PASSING A BALL THROUGH A SERIES OF CONCENTRICCONTAINERS This invention relates to a game.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a game which maybe played by one or several players and which will require and/ordevelop a certain amount of dexterity, concentration, handling skill andother qualities in the player or players.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in thecourse of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it wasfound desirable to provide a game consisting of a single unit which isof light weight and easy to handle. This unit consists of a plurality oftransparent containers located one within the other and spaced one fromthe other so that suitable passages are provided between the containers.Any suitable means which do not interfere with the passages may be usedto hold the containers one within the other. The containers may becubes, elongated rectangular boxes, spheres or of any other suitableshape. They may be made of this transparent plastic or any other lightbut sufficiently firm material. Preferably the containers are located atuniform distances from each other and/or the central axis of the outercontainer.

The game is played by the use of play pieces which may have the shape ofspheres, round pieces, oval pieces or the like. The purpose of the gameis to introduce these pieces into openings provided in the innercontainers. Obviously, the outer container will have no openings so asto prevent the play pieces from falling out. The openings must be of asize adequate for the passage of the play pieces. One feature of thegame is that the openings can be provided upon different cations of theinner containers so that a play piece which has penetrated through anopening into an inner container will have to be moved along a passagebefore it reaches an opening in a container enclosed by said Obviously,other suitable means may be used to hold the inner boxes securely withinthe outer box and yet not to interfer with passages extending betweenthe individual boxes.

The construction is preferably such that all the boxes are uniformlyspaced in all directions one from thethe position shown in FIG. 1, theopening 16 may be inner container. When the game is played by severalplayers, it may be enhanced by using play pieces of dif ferent colorsand/or shapes.

The invention will appearmore clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingshowing by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventiveidea.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view ofthe game shown in FIG. 1.

The specific construction illustrated in the drawing is a unit 9 whichincludes an outer rectangular box 10, an inner box 1 1 and an innermostbox 12. The three boxes are all made of a suitable light transparentmaterial. The inner boxes 11 and 12 are supported within the outer box10 by thin pegs l3, l4 and 15 which engage the inner surfaces of theouter box and the outer surfaces of the inner boxes.

located upon the lower surface of the box 11 while the opening 17 may belocated upon; the upper surface of the box 12.

In the example illustrated, the game is played by means of a ball 18shown as being located in a passage between the outer box 10 and theinner box 11. Obviously the openings 16 and 17 must be of such size thatthe ball 18 will be able to pass through them and the passages betweenthe boxes must allow free movement of the ball. The player or playerswill manipulate the unit to cause the ball 18 to first enter the box 11through the opening 16 and then enter the box 12 through the opening 17.

As already stated, various changes may be made in the disclosedconstruction. In addition to changing the shape and the number of theboxes, the shape of the play piece 18 may be changed and several playpieces of different colors may be used by the players. Then the objectof the game may be to place a play piece of one color in one particularbox and to place a play pieceof a different color into another box. Theshape of the play pieces may be such that they will pass through theopenings in only one specific position. These and similar variationsmust be considered to be included to be within the scope of the presentinvention.

Iclairn:

1. A game, comprising an outer cubical transparent container, a middlecubical transparent container located within the outer container, aninnermost cubical transparent container located within the middlecontainer, means supporting the middle container within the outercontainer and supporting the innermost container within the middlecontainer and providing uniform passages between the containers, and aball movable in said passages, said middle container having a surfaceprovided with an opening through which said ball can pass, saidinnermost container having a differently located surface provided withan opening through which said ball can pass.

2. A game in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means consist of pegsengaging some of the inner surfaces of the outer container and some ofthe outer surfaces of the middle and innermost containers.

1. A game, comprising an outer cubical transparent container, a middlecubical transparent container located within the outer container, aninnermost cubical transparent container located within the middlecontainer, means supporting the middle container within the outercontainer and supporting the innermost container within the middlecontainer and providing uniform passages between the containers, and aball movable in said passages, said middle container having a surfaceprovided with an opening through which said ball can pass, saidinnermost container having a differently located surface provided withan opening through which said ball can pass.
 2. A game in accordancewith claim 1, wherein said means consist of pegs engaging some of theinner surfaces of the outer container and some of the outer surfaces ofthe middle and innermost containers.